Reg Mombassa's exhibition of new work at the Watters Gallery in East Sydney drew a copious crowd. Because I bought some of his works, I was invited to the event. And because it's East Sydney, I decided to catch the train. It's impossible to park your car during the week.

I spent the evening drinking white wine out of small plastic cups and wandering around, looking at the pictures. Every now and then I'd bump into Lyn, a middle-aged woman with lots of stories to tell. We chatted about the pictures and her son, who had purchased an earlier work for $8000. She was quite excited by this, envisioning its appreciation over time. I think she envied me my own purchases.

Almost all the works were sold by the time people started to arrive. Very few had no little red sticker affixed near the frame. A sell-out. Good business. In the photo Mombassa (alias of Chris O'Doherty) is the guy with the long hair toward the left of frame. He used to play in a rock band, and it shows!


Lyn encouraged me to look at the paintings of John Vander. So when I got home, I did. Not exactly my type of art.

I talked with another middle-aged woman on the train going home. She was interested in my glasses. Said I looked like an architect. Hmm. These specs were purchased almost ten years ago for $40. Not exactly A-list.

I told her I was in the market for a new couch and she informed me of a furniture store near where I work, on Parramatta Road. I'll try to drive past there later in the week.

All up I had a very chatty evening.